Thursday, July 28, 2011

One can never say enough about Mary. This affirmation of St. Bernard has been repeated by many Mariologists throughout the centuries.

However much one may speak about the Blessed Virgin, it will never suffice, as there will always be marvels of hers to talk about. There are so many beautiful aspects to her grandeur and sublime virtues that one could never run out of reflections on the One who outdoes all the angels and saints. And this is indisputably so, for she was chosen to be the most admirable of mere creatures, the masterpiece of creation picked to be the worthy Mother of God!

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In this age of technology and unbridled frenzy, there are some forgotten truths (sometimes culpably neglected) many of which are surrounded by stunning campaigns of silence and relegated to utter isolation and abandonment.

Such ostracism has been precisely the fate assigned to what undoubtedly constitutes the greatest manifestation of the Blessed Virgin in the Americas over the last few centuries, under the prophetic title of Our Lady of Good Success.

In order to commemorate the 70th anniversary of the “Miracle of ‘41” and to exalt and give due prominence to that ineffable wonder by the Queen of Heaven, we review it below.

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The statue of Our Lady of Good Success has protected the Convent of the Immaculate Conception in Quito for many centuries and has been instrumental in bringing continuing graces to protect Ecuador and its people.

Along with her pastoral crosier, She picked that name in order to always govern us successfully in all the petitions we make to her, both in the spiritual and temporal order, and She has thus undoubtedly become the Sovereign ruler of Ecuador. And so that her miraculous statue would become known all over the country and the world, the Blessed Virgin worked in these lands the most extraordinary event of the twentieth century.

In 1941 Peru invaded Ecuadorian territory, and in view of that emergency the Archbishop of Quito ordered that a Triduum of prayers be said in the various churches of Quito to honor the many invocations of the Blessed Virgin imploring her for a cessation of the hostilities.

On July 24 the Triduum in honor of Our Lady of Good Success started in the Church of the Immaculate Conception. Three days later, all Ecuadorians saw for themselves the famous predilection in which the Virgin holds their country.

Beginning at seven o'clock in the morning of Sunday, July 27, 1941, the statue continually opened and shut her eyes; her face at first took on a reddish color, then changed to one similar to that of marble. A kind of fog covered the statue and, as soon as it vanished, one could see the statue in the middle of a supernatural glow.

Her eyes, normally looking downward, would gradually and repeatedly lift up to heaven in supplication and then land once again on the faithful.

As news of the phenomenon spread, thousands of faithful invaded the church, marveling at that wondrous portent while relegating to the background international events of great magnitude.

The maternal blinking of the sacred Statue occurred throughout that blessed day, lasting until three in the morning of the next. At ten o'clock in the morning of the 27th there took place what was later called "the miracle of ‘41". It was witnessed by thirty thousand people. In the afternoon of that same day, the daily newspapers announced the cessation of hostilities by Peru against our country.

On July 28 and for a few days thereafter, news about the wonderful event appeared in various Ecuadorian dailies, such as

Diario El Comercio, July 28-29 and August 2, 1941

Diario El Universo, July 28, 1941

Diario El Telégrafo, July 28, 1941

Diario Últimas Noticias, July 28, 1941

Diario El Debate (evening) July 27-28-29, 1941

Diario la Sociedad, August 3, 1941

Diario la Voz Obrera, August 10, 1941

Diario La Voz Católica de Loja, October 5 & 12, 1941

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"Thisdevotion will be the lightning rod between Divine Justice and the unfaithfulworldto prevent the unleashing, upon this guilty earth, of the formidablepunishment that it deserves.”

--Revelations of Our Lady of Good Success to Mother Mariana de Jesus Torres.

What can we do to face the punishment required by the sins of today’s world, to help bring about the conversion of men, and to find our way amid the disasters that so seriously threaten us? Our Lady answers: increase our devotion to her, pray and do penance.

Seventy years have gone by since Our ​​Lady of Good Success showed her mercy in such a wonderful fashion by removing the danger of war from the international scene. However, in Ecuador - and obviously everywhere else - nothing has been seen ever since but vile impenitence and apostasy, which leads us to fear that God's punishment is becoming increasingly inevitable.

Today, the whole world groans in darkness and pain just like the prodigal son when he reached the vortex of shame and misery, away from the parental home.

The gradual leveling of the sexes towards full equality and complete libertinage; the acceptance of aggressive pornography on TV, in newspapers, magazines, movie theaters, and the Internet; the wearing of extravagant fashions for both men and women; birth control practices that defeat the purpose of the sacrament of marriage; the killing of innocent unborn; the legalization of divorce and homosexual unions. All these events, among many others that anyone today can see, beg the question: are we living the days of the imminent triumph of iniquity?

The sight of so many crimes naturally suggests the idea of ​​divine vengeance; and when we look at this sinful world, groaning amid the torture of a thousand crises and anguishes and still shrinking from penance; when we consider the terrible progress of neopaganism, about to become the governing rule of all humanity; finally, when we see the pusillanimity, improvidence and disunity of those who still have not adhered to evil, our minds are filled with dread at the idea of the disasters building up upon humanity, we also see that the days of impiety are numbered.

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If God were to allow only His justice to act, it would be questionable whether the world would have existed thus far. But since God is not only just but also merciful, the door of salvation still has not been closed for us. A humanity persevering in wickedness has every reason to expect the rigors of God’s justice. But God, Who is infinitely merciful, does not want the death of sinful humanity but rather that ‘it converts and lives.” Thus, His grace insistently seeks out all men to make them leave their bad ways and return to the fold of the Good Shepherd.

If an unrepentant humanity should expect every catastrophe, a repentant humanity can expect abundant mercy. And to attain it there is no need for repentance to have accomplished its work of restoration. It suffices for the sinner, though still in the bottom of the abyss, to turn to God with a simple beginning of effective, serious and deep repentance, for him to immediately obtain the help of God, who never forgot him in the first place.

These two essential images of justice and mercy should be constantly before the eyes of modern man. Of justice, for him not to rashly assume that he will be saved without merit. Of mercy, so he will not to despair of his salvation just as long as he wishes to amend himself.

As She did in Quito in 1941, Our Lady of Good Success has continuously worked most stupendous miracles for us. Can the mercy of a Mother – the very best of mothers – ever come to an end? Who would dare to say so?

If anyone were to doubt, the miracle of 1941 should serve as a wonderful lesson in confidence. Our Lady will not fail to help us. She has actually already started to help us. At the very moment that wickedness seems to triumph, something rings hollow in its apparent victory. The days of domination by the wicked are numbered. The Miracle of ‘41 invites us to confide in Most Holy Mary of Good Success.

Beyond the darkness and punishment toward which we march, we also have before us some rays of light: sacral rays of light of the blessed dawn of the Reign of Mary: “I will dethrone proud Satan, chaining him to the infernal abyss and freeing at last the Church and the motherland from this cruel tyranny.” This is the grand perspective of a universal victory by the royal and maternal Heart of the Blessed Virgin. It is a soothing, attractive and above all majestic promise, proper to stir enthusiasm.